Zalman ALPHA3 LX A36 brings a removable magnetic screen to a 360mm liquid CPU cooler, letting PC builders place the display away from the pump. The company has shared the specs, but buyers still have no price or launch details.
The screen can track CPU heat, usage, and clock speed through Zalman's CVM Setup app. It also works as a clock when the PC is off, as long as the motherboard keeps feeding it standby power.
And that last bit has a catch. Cutting power to the system will stop the clock, since it does not run on a separate battery. Users can also turn the screen to match their tube layout.
Once detached, the display can sit on another part of the case. Zalman even packs a spare pump cover for anyone who moves it. A neat option for builds where the CPU block is hard to see.
Cooling duties fall to a PWM pump that can hit 3,400rpm, paired with a machined copper contact plate. The aluminum radiator measures 394 × 120 × 29mm, while the tubes stretch 400mm.
That 29mm depth is a bit more than the common 27mm design. It may offer some cooling benefit, but case airflow, fan speed, and CPU load will have a say in the actual result.
Instead of three loose fans, Zalman uses one ZM-XF360 unit with three 120mm fans in a shared frame. Speeds range from 600 to 2,000rpm, with a 10% margin in either direction.
Airflow is rated at up to 71.14CFM, with 2.06mmH₂O of pressure. Zalman also claims a peak noise level of 32.9dB(A), subject to the stated tolerance. Both the pump area and fans get addressable RGB lighting.
Socket support is fairly broad. Intel users get LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, and LGA115x compatibility, while AMD owners can use AM5 or AM4. ZM-STC11 thermal paste comes in the box.
For software, CVM Setup needs Windows 10 or a newer version. Anyone building a Threadripper workstation will need another cooler, as Zalman has not listed support for those sockets.
Fit is worth checking as well. A thick radiator can get close to RAM or motherboard heatsinks, mainly in cases with a tight roof mount.
Still, the real test will be cooling and fan noise under heavy use. No independent results have surfaced, leaving the ALPHA3 LX A36 as an option with some unusual features but no proven performance edge yet.
The screen can track CPU heat, usage, and clock speed through Zalman's CVM Setup app. It also works as a clock when the PC is off, as long as the motherboard keeps feeding it standby power.
And that last bit has a catch. Cutting power to the system will stop the clock, since it does not run on a separate battery. Users can also turn the screen to match their tube layout.
Once detached, the display can sit on another part of the case. Zalman even packs a spare pump cover for anyone who moves it. A neat option for builds where the CPU block is hard to see.
Cooling duties fall to a PWM pump that can hit 3,400rpm, paired with a machined copper contact plate. The aluminum radiator measures 394 × 120 × 29mm, while the tubes stretch 400mm.
That 29mm depth is a bit more than the common 27mm design. It may offer some cooling benefit, but case airflow, fan speed, and CPU load will have a say in the actual result.
Instead of three loose fans, Zalman uses one ZM-XF360 unit with three 120mm fans in a shared frame. Speeds range from 600 to 2,000rpm, with a 10% margin in either direction.
Airflow is rated at up to 71.14CFM, with 2.06mmH₂O of pressure. Zalman also claims a peak noise level of 32.9dB(A), subject to the stated tolerance. Both the pump area and fans get addressable RGB lighting.
Socket support is fairly broad. Intel users get LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, and LGA115x compatibility, while AMD owners can use AM5 or AM4. ZM-STC11 thermal paste comes in the box.
For software, CVM Setup needs Windows 10 or a newer version. Anyone building a Threadripper workstation will need another cooler, as Zalman has not listed support for those sockets.
Fit is worth checking as well. A thick radiator can get close to RAM or motherboard heatsinks, mainly in cases with a tight roof mount.
Still, the real test will be cooling and fan noise under heavy use. No independent results have surfaced, leaving the ALPHA3 LX A36 as an option with some unusual features but no proven performance edge yet.
